Outlook: The Saints lost 11 seniors from last year’s club. Glenn Wiswell is the team’s leading returning scorer. He had 16 goals and 13 assists last year. TJ Boulanger had six goals and 15 points last season and Jon Douglass added two goals and 14 assists. Sophomore Zane Angelopoulos takes over in net and Garrett Palmer and Niall Foster will anchor a young D-corps. Turgeon has shown promise.

Coach’s Comment: “If the scoring is where it should be this year, we are bound to be a high offensive team. Defensively, we need to eliminate mistakes and make sure we keep things simple.”

Outlook: The Red Raiders will try to build off the momentum they created last season with a late season playoff push and a berth in the D-II semifinals where they lost to rival Dover. As the No. 7 seed, Spaulding upset No. 2 Goffstown in the quarters to advance. Spaulding will rely on a solid senior class to keep the upward trend going.

Coach’s Comment: “Our team will go as far as the seniors take us. They have depth and talent to work with them, but it is up to them to determine how good we become.”

Outlook: The Green Wave are deep up front, especially with Joe Johnston returning from junior hockey, but must replace four senior defensemen. Sam Bovee, Andrew Ibechem, Brad Bishop and Tim Burke have looked good so far. Luc Ravenelle will start the season in net, but freshman Nick Martinen will compete for playing time. Johnston had a hat trick in Dover’s 8-2, season-opening win over Kingswood.

Coach’s Comment: “Our goal is to finish in the top four and host a playoff game.”

Outlook: Should be interesting year for the Hilltoppers, who have a new coach, a new league and a new cooperative with Coe-Brown Northwood Academy. Moving up to D-II this season represents a substantial upgrade in competition. Veteran goalie Peter Robertson will backbone a Somersworth defense that also returns senior Evan Marquis and juniors Dakota Hippern and Nick Pridham. Austin Siering has been moved from defense to forward and helps form a potent front line that also includes Colby Siering and Slovakian exchange student Timotej Jurenka. Coe-Brown’s Ben Bailey and Jesse Cole are quality additions.

Coach’s Comment: “We intend to be competitive throughout the entire season. Staying healthy is important. The team has a positive attitude.”

Outlook: Depth up front, led by captains Patrick McDonough and Griffin Sperry, and experienced goaltending should be strengths for the Bobcats, who reached the final four last season. How quickly the defense comes around could be one of the keys to the season.

Coach’s Comment: “The key will be how quickly our defense learns to play together. The forwards will have to commit to team defense, but should be able to score some goals.”

Outlook: Andrew Trimble takes over the Kingswood program, replacing longtime coach Fred Antonucci. Trimble is also an assistant coach with the Laconia Leafs in the AJHL and in 2008-09 was the head coach of the Columbia University women’s team. Trimble will try to turn around a program that won only three of 16 games last season and dropped an 8-2 decision to Dover in its opener Wednesday. Riley had a goal and as assist in that game. Pollini, an all-state defenseman the past two years, also scored. Freshman defenseman Matthew Fuller could make an immediate impact. Riley Sirrell and Lucas Bonenfant are the captains.

Coach’s Comment: The kids have been very eager to learn and adjusted well (to the coaches). We have a hard-working group ... and that makes it fun to come to the rink every day.”

Outlook: The Clippers will look to make their third appearance in the D-III playoffs in four years with a young squad after losing seven seniors. They have only one senior this season. Junior Aaron Rancourt and freshmen Luke La Croce and Jack Alden make up the top line. Sandquist, Sweet and Enescu are expected to lead the defense, which Brandano believes will be the key to their success along with the play of Brady Marchewka in net. Portsmouth dropped its opener Wednesday to John Stark.

Coach’s Comment: I think we have a lot of young guys who are excited to work hard and we still have the goal of making the playoffs. Once you get there, anything can happen. It’ll be a good challenge, but I really think this team will develop well over time.”

Outlook: The Bulldogs return a solid nucleus from last season, including D-I college prospects Liam Darcy and James Winkler. Darcy, a sophomore, has already verbally committed to UNH. Ranked 19th out of 67 prep schools by New England Hockey Journal, the Bulldogs will be tested early with their first three games against teams in the top 10. Motew is a transfer from Hebron Academy and Toohey and Dow transferred from Timberlane High School in Plaistow, N.H.

Coach’s Comment: “We returned a lot of talent from a good team last year, however it remains to be seen how well we come together as a group. I feel good about the guys in our locker room and I think we have the ability to do some really good things.”

Outlook: If and when the two schools jel in the recently formed co-op between Noble and Wells, St. Cyr expects improvement from last season as the schedule eases up. With limited graduation losses from a year ago, the nucleus remains intact and St. Cyr hopes another year of experience will translate into positive results.

Coach’s Comment: “An easier schedule should allow for a more competitive season for a still fairly young team.”

Marshwood-Traip

Coach/Year: Eric Royal/ninth.

2011-12 Record/Playoffs: 14-6/lost in quarterfinals of Western Maine Class A tourney.

Outlook: Lajeunesse headlines a group of talented forwards and Gagnon is solid in net. The Hawks must overcome the pitfalls of a young defense and a challenging schedule. Lajeunesse had a hat trick and Gagnon pitched a shutout in the team’s opener last Saturday against Westbrook, a 6-0 win. The Hawks have a junior, two sophomores and two freshmen on defense.

Coach’s Comment: “In order to have similar success to recent years we’re going to have to consistently improve each week and play great team defense.”

Outlook: Despite having only two seniors on the roster, the defending EIL champs expect to hold their own against Division II NEPSAC opponents. Anna Wright and Kaitlyn Wurzer anchor the defense with Tilley Burzynski, Aimee Briand and Gabby Wiggin carrying the offense. With five freshmen and an eighth grader, the Bulldogs have added depth.

Coach’s Comment: “With our strong showing last season and just missing the New England Division II tournament, our biggest goals will be to repeat as EIL champions and get invited to the New Englands.

St. Thomas-Dover

Coach/Year: Kevin Banfield/first.

2011-12 Record/Playoffs: 6-11/lost to Oyster River in quarterfinals of D-I tournament.

Outlook: The Saints are young with only three seniors on the roster. Dodier is a scoring threat up front. Murphy and Holden, both co-captains, anchor a defense that has to become one of the team’s strengths. Eno, the other co-captain, is a versatile player. First-year coach Kevin Banfield expects the freshman class to make an immediate impact.

Coach’s Comment: “We have to take care of our own end and not make mental mistakes.”

Oyster River

Coach/Year: Jamie Long/ sixth.

2011-12 Record/Playoffs: 13-5/lost to Hanover in Division I semifinals.

Outlook: After a trip to the final in 2011 and consecutive 13-win seasons, the Bobcats will lean on a nucleus of juniors to reach the next level. They should be tough to score against with the goaltending tandem of Pitroff and Croot and Strogen, Marc-Anthony and Hartford anchoring the defense. How quickly a group of young forwards mature might determine if the Bobcats can make another run at the state title.

Coach’s Comment: “We have two very strong returning goaltenders. The defense will be pretty good, but can we put the puck in the net? Is this a playoff team? Sure, but how far we go ... time will tell.”